


Five Times the Doctor was THERE

by HotaruMuraki



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Kid!versions of known characters, Multiple Crossovers, NOT in the same fic!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-06 22:22:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12827349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HotaruMuraki/pseuds/HotaruMuraki
Summary: Five times the twelfth Doctor was there for some very special people - even if some of them never knew...ORA serialized mash-up of characters not-quite-following the prompt.





	1. Miles to go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ruuger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruuger/gifts).



> I'm sorry I'm so late in posting this. (I literally finished writing this only five minutes ago!) Am still earlier than the Doctor returning to a waiting Amelia Pond, though.  
> Anyway, the prompt I got in this fic exchange specified some characters. Unfortunately, the story ran away from at its earliest convenience, meaning that I managed to sneak in only _one_ of the listed characters. I seriously hope that especially the recipient of this story - or should that be stories? - will forgive me for this. *winks* I tried to do my best.  
>  One word of warning... *whispers* I was seriously bad at choosing titles since I only noticed about three quarters through that _maybe_ the separate parts would sound better if each had its own title? *winces* Or maybe not. As I said - 'm none too good with naming stuff.  
>  Nevertheless, enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An action or inaction in the present does have its consequences, often reaching far into the future.

  
  


He watched. Because he always watched, even if he didn't appear to do so. Even if he didn't interfere as often as he would like to. But where he could interfere, he did.

However, in cases where he could not...

Those were the times when the Doctor sorely wished for a temporary loss of his perception of timelines.

Unfortunately, some things are just meant to be, like the 456 or Demon's Run or so many, many others! Fixed points in time they were, events or people that had consequences, oftentimes reaching far, far into the future.

And nobody knew better than a Time Lord that to mess with Time... Is NOT to be done. For the consequences of that were always far more terrible than the cause. Always.

Humans did have the merest speck of an inkling of an idea, though, what with that 'Butterfly Effect' theory of theirs, the Doctor admitted. Even if their application of it was rather crude and wonky.

This was the reason why the Last Time Lord just stood in the deepest, darkest shadows of the trees across a certain house in a non-descript suburban neighbourhood somewhere in America. And in the middle of the night to boot!

Stood there, a silent sentinel, his impressive eyebrows drawn into a rather intimidating glower, watching unhappily as anonymous black-clad people noiselessly carried a small girl off into the night. Nobody but one in the house the wiser as to the circumstances or reasons for that abduction.

The Doctor could not – _must not!_ – do anything to prevent her kidnapping, no matter how much he wished to save another little girl from what he knew to be an ugly fate. No matter how much it galled him that this was neccessary, a future driving force for her older brother to choose a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. From there onwards, the young boy would see and learn and experience many things that–No. None of that tonight. 'That' was still some years into the future, the Doctor decided. Not for now. Yet.

He scowled, slipping on his Sonic Sunglasses, and turned around to walk back to his Tardis. Maybe he would try to play a new piece or two on his Yamaha "Black Sparkle" to forget-remember that these things happened for a reason. They always did. Whether it was a good one, though...

The Doctor shrugged. He had just about tired of trying to decide on that, preferring to let History be the judge in most cases. Although he had a feeling that his music would be more blue-sy than usual tonight...

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit that I haven watched "The X-Files" in _years_. Still am somewhat of a fan, though.  
>  Although I am fairly certain I remember the whole stuff with Fox Mulder's little sister Samantha correctly.


	2. He will not see me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two men meet in a non-descript, crowded diner purely by accident. Necessity makes them sit at the same table...

This time, Patrick Jane was the one being 'read' and the part-time CBI associate wasn't all too sure whetherhe liked or even _wanted_ that. Never mind that there had been only one seat left in the crowded diner and he therefore been forced to sit down across this rather intimidating stranger.

The man's piercing gaze, those intensely focused eyes... Their steel-blue stare seemed to drill through all the barriers he'd built up around himself after his beloved wife and his precious daughter... After they...

The other's eyes seemed to soften, turning a lighter a shade of blue, almost as if he could _see_ what had happened to Patrick. See all that pain and anger and hurt and...commiserate with it. With him. Perhaps having experienced something similar.

Until it happened, Patrick hadn't acknowledged or even _known_ how much he wanted, no, actually _craved_ for someone to understand, to just _get_ what he'd gone through without pitying him. Which Lisbon, for all her gruff but well-intentioned kindness just... _couldn't_.

However, for some unfathomable reason, the stranger with the not-quite RayBan's could. He _did_ get it. There was no pity present in his gaze, though.

Patrick felt...relieved. His burden had been lightened somehow by this chance encounter.

Maybe being 'read' instead of the other way round – by somebody who _wasn't_ a murderous megalomaniac – wasn't so bad every once in a while...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit that I watch this show only occasionally but I do know at least the rough outline of what's going on where and why.  
> Chance encounters can lead to surprising and/or freeing experiences, can't they? ;-)


	3. To watch these woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first meeting certainly wouldn't be their last one. Neither of them knew that at the time, though.

  
  
  


Mama had always said that when in trouble to just look for a police box. The nice policemen would always help a citizen in need. Mama had also told little Abilene not to wander away too far from their picnic blanket in the park.

Too bad that five-year-old Bill had not listened to her and chased an interesting-looking dog into the more densely wooded area of Brandon Hill Park. Now Bill was _really_ lost.

But... Was that actually the blue of a police box peeking through that copse of trees over there?

Bill stumbled in the direction of it as fast as her tired little feet could carry her. Maybe the policeman inside could help her?

She knocked. No answer. Maybe the officer was outside, trying to help somebody else? Bill should probably wait inside. However, when she tried the door, it was locked. Strange.

Then she better wait right next to the door! When the policeman came back from his round, then she could ask him for help right away.

Decision made, Bill spread her overcoat in front of the door, sitting down and leaning against the left side of the door-panel, right under the 'Public Call' sign. Surely nobody would mind if she did that, right? After all, people were weird sometimes about the strangest things...

Thinking about all the things a tired little five-year-old was wont to ponder, Bill soon fell asleep, unconsciously cozying up to the blue police-box.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On his return, the Doctor was rather surprised to find that his Tardis seemed to have gained a little addition. How did that happen? And he had taken the precaution of parking in a rather deserted area of the park just to avoid such a complication, too! The child fortunately was sound asleep.

Maybe he could carry her back to a more populated area and leave her there for somebody else to find?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Doctor had barely reached the main walkway when a frantic woman saw the burden he carried in his arms and ran up to him. After he flashed his Psychic Paper and explained about finding her little girl soundly asleep around half a mile back near Cabot Tower, the woman thanked him effusivley for 'taking such good care of my precious Abilene'.

"Just doing my job, ma'am," the Doctor stated gruffly, beating a hasty retreat before the woman woke the child with her constant babbling. Really, he'd almost prefer running from Cybermen or the Master than from grateful mothers. The latter were way more scary!

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Ruuger: Sorry that this is the only character I managed to use from your prompt.


	4. There's something bigger out there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor has influenced many people in his life. He's just about to do so once more, although not _quite_ in the way either of the two people involved expected.  
>  (Pssst! He still doesn't like children all that much, though!)

  
  
  


"Hey Doc," Ian Malcolm drawled as John Hammond announced a short break in their on-going tour of Isla Nublar, just so everyone could 'check out the facilities in and around the Visitors Centre. "How'd you come to study the bones of looong-dead lizards anyway? With your skills in writing prose, you'd easily be able to write any old fiction."

Alan Grant bravely resisted the urge to just strangle the lanky man constantly snarking away and be done with it. Him. Whatever. Instead he turned around to face the chaos dem–erm, chaos-theorist. Judging from the way the other male was sprawled over the surface of a couch originally meant for three to four people, Ian Malcolm must be somewhat bored, Alan decided. After all, why else would somebody ask such a rather personal question of a person he'd just met today? And totally out of the blue, too?

Either Malcolm _was_ bored or he just wanted to cause a bit of chaos for some reason. Or both. Which – was totally possible, now that Alan thought about it.

He sighed, suddenly reminded of somebody else with the same penchant for posing uncomfortable questions at totally inopportune time. Whether it was prudent to engage in answering that question though...

"Well," Alan said, taking off his fedora and turning it around in his hands. "I've been interested in the Cretaceous Period since childhood, really. My grampsowned a quarry in Thompson Falls, Montana and since my parents parked me there nearly each summer since I was five, it was just a matter of time until I discovered something. In fact, I found my first ammonite when I was eight. Have been hooked ever since."

"Hm..." Ian hummed. "Then you're quite an early bird then, aren't you." He yawned, stretching his limbs. "Do me a favour, will ya? Wake me up when Hammond decides to continue the tour? Thanks." Without waiting for a reply, he lay down on the sofa and soon started to snore.

Alan Grant blinked. That was fast, wasn't it. Well-timed, though, however unintentional that had been. Because the paleontologist had dreaded more detailed questions from the other man.

When he had told Ian Malcolm about about his first discovery, Alan had oh-so-coveniently forgotten to mention that the ammonite had been a live one. Not to mention other pertinent facts concerning his choice of career . . .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Flashback: Start! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It had all started with a big bang. Little Alan had been hurrying to school, proudly carrying his pain-stakingly built diorama of a prehistoric landscape, dinosaurs included. Neither looking left nor right in his haste, he accidentally crashed into a tall, scowly old man with the bushiest eyebrows Alan had ever seen. The stranger had only been pushed back a step or two while Alan had landed on his rump quite forcefully but Alan's diorama had not fared so well. It had been ripped from his hands by the sudden violent movement and had been thrown back onto the ground rather hard, dislodging half the dinosaurs and creating a sizeable dent in his volcano.

His diorama was broken, Alan was even later now, his ass hurt and his hands were scraped. Not to mention that his teacher, Ms. Goldblum was definitely out to get him. No, really, she was! To top it off, now the old man he'd accidentally bowled over looked about to yell at him. So Alan did what any smart eight-year-old in his position would do – he burst into tears. (More from anger than from any serious bodily harm but who was to know?)

This made the stranger who had opened his mouth to undoubtedly start yelling, snap it shut again. His scowling, angry expression morphed into one of disproportionate horror. It was clear from his panicky grimace that he probably didn't have all that much experience with children. If any. Even eight-year-old Alan could see that he did not know how to deal with this situation.

"You broke my diorama, old man," Alan accused him.

"I did not–"

"Did too!"

"–and I'm not that old."

"Says who?"

"Me."

"Well, you still broke my school-project!"

". . . . . sorry?" The man looked at least somewhat remorseful. "Although if you want to be picky, it was gravity that did the most damage."

"Not helping, gramps," Alan dead-panned.

"Don't call me that," the other insisted. "I'm really not that old."

"Then what should I call you? Old man? Oldie?–"

"I'm the Doctor," he was hastily interrupted. "I...travel a lot."

"Doctor...who?"

"Exactly."

Alan sweatdropped. Grown-ups could be so weird sometimes. "Hello doctor," the eight-year-old replied, totally ignoring what his grandma had told him about talking to strangers. "I am Alan. I am very late to school by now. I also don't have something to show for our school fair. Which means I won't get a good grade for my project–" Okay, the attempt to guilt-trip the doctor was a bit overdone by now but Alan knew what his parents would say if he didn't get good grades. Spare him the drama, please!

"Maybe we can save it?" the doctor said, stooping down to pick up the pieces strewn about. "Although..." He focused his gaze on Alan. "While you managed to replicate a volcano quite well, the landscape is too desert-like. Most of the land in most of the prehistoric era was more like a djungle or grassy plains than a desert. Also these dinosaurs–" The Doctor picked up a procompsognathus, a brachiosaurus and an archeopteryx. "– belong in the triassic and the jurassic period." He gestured to the other dinosaurs. "These, however, are correct for the cretaceous period. Velociraptors do not hunt alone, though. For authenticity, you'd better place more of them around your T-Rex."

Alan gaped, flabbergasted. Then he grew rather angry. How _dare_ he! First smashing his diorama and then daring to criticise Alan's efforts. "Those dinosaurs didn't come cheap, you know!" He drew another breath. "Besides, how would _you_ know, _old man_? Or were you actually alive back then after all?"

"No," the doctor interjected. "Of course not. But–"

"But...?"

"I just _know_ , ok?"

Had the Doctor known a bit more about children at all, he would have known that this was exactly the wrong way to go about convincing a child that you were right...

"No."

"Huh?"

"I may be only eight years old and you about a gazillion years older–" The doctor grumbled. "–but you can't say something like that and expect anyone to believe you. Not without proof!"

"This is not one of those dreadfully mind-numbing crime series on TV," the Doctor stated indignantly.

"Same difference," Alan countered nonchalantly.

The doctor's glare intensified. He seemed to scrutinize Alan even more closely than before. What exactly he was loooking for, though, Alan didn't know.

Then the doctor seemed to have reached a decision. He turned around, motioning for Alan to come with him. "Come on, there's something I have to show you."

To this day, Alan couldn't say what had made him comply without question.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Flashback: End! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Alan Grant smiled in remembrance. Oh yes, indeed. The Doctor _had_ shown him, in great, vivid, and colourful detail, the wheres and hows and whatnots of dinosaurs... And while he still preferred the cretaceous period over any other, he knew thanks to the Doctor that other periods, like the Jurassic, had ist own 'charms'.

Although come to think of it, he really could have done without being chased back to the Tardis by an angry T-Rex. (How did the Doctor end up running for his life so often anyway?)

Alan had never seen the gruff, grey-haired man again, but that was just as well. After all, he didn't need any more running for his life or saving from being eaten by a T-Rex _again_ , now, did he...

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, in case nobody could tell - that was the one that ran away with me the most.  
> I honestly didn't think eight-year-old Alan Grant would be this snarky or disrespectful towards his elders. Surprise? ;-)  
> Also this regeneration of the Doctor does have a very carefully hidden childish side to him. Still does not make him any good in dealing with children, though.  
> BTW, the names of places, prehistoric periods and the corresponding dinosaurs are correct. As far as I can tell, that is. (If they aren't, _please_ let me know!)


	5. The darkest evening (of the year)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cardiff. Two old people meet on New Year's Eve.

  
  
  


For once, it was a calm night in Cardiff, no Weevil sightings, no flooding of the city, nor any other alien-related catastrophies that Torchwood would have to deal with. Almost as if a 'Do not disturb' sign had been broadcast somehow to remind any hostile aliens that at least once a year, they should keep quiet or away, please and thank you. Or at least that was how it seemed on this New Year's Eve.

This – and Torchwood's grueling last few days! – was the main reason that Jack had decided to drag the whole team and associates to the New Year's Gala held at the Millenium Centre. The fortunate circumstance that it made for a very short walk from work to pleasure for him was an additional bonus. (Don't drink and drive, right? And since Jack planned to do quite a bit of drinking...)

Yes, that, and to be honest, Jack really didn't want to suffer through yet another New Year's Eve celebration alone. It was only fair to spare his team the same sad fate, wasn't it?

 

Which was why Jack Harkness stood at the doors leading straight into the auditorium while waiting for their female co-workers to return from the bathroom.

'Really,' Jack mused. 'Why is it that women always go there in droves or at least two at a time? Some things will never change. Probably.'

From his position between the entrance hall doubling as a posh lounge-bar area and the auditorium converted to a ballroom for this occasion, Jack could see each of his ~~underlings~~ friends. Ianto was fending off the attempts of one of the organizers of the event to get him to sign up for a charity date auction held by the Tiger Bay Tales Community next week. It didn't look like Ianto needed any saving yet, though. Owen, in contrast, had taken a clueless Rhys under his wing and was doing his level best to get the both of them boozy as quickly as possible.

From the way it looked, their resident doctor could hold his liquor a bit better than Gwen's fiancé but from the way both guzzled down their Brecons and Dà Mhìles, they would _probably_ be plastered enough to _not_ miss the countdown or the fireworks. Probably.

Jack had just decided not to hold his breath on that happening when Gwen and Tosh returned, both making a beeline towards him.

Gwen had seen Rhys getting plastered with Owen and the glare she sent in their direction didn't bode well for either of them. Everyone knew that an angry Gwen Cooper was not to be easily crossed, not if you wanted your health to remain good and each body part in the same state as before.

Jack and Toshiko shared a glance, somehow both amused and a bit sympathetic. Gwen's 'private' life was supposed to be a secret – so of course everybody in Torchwood Three knew. Nobody would speak about it, though. That's what friends were for after all.

Tosh had just opened her mouth to relate a joke she'd heard from one of her online acquaintances when they saw Ianto nearly getting groped by the older cougar who wouldn't take no for an answer. Jack swore. Even if they were off-duty now, he really should have been paing better attention not to his surroundings but to his fellow agents.

Exchanging glances, the three of them wordlessly agreed that it would be better for one of the women to 'rescue' Ianto. Jack would do so without hesitation and in a heartbeat but the captain knew that Ianto... Was not quite ready to officially and publicly leave his wooden prison cell, so to speak. More's the pity since Jack would really like to show the lady that nessing with Ianto meant messing with ~~him~~ all of the team. Bad idea, that!

Since he couldn't do that, sending Toshiko over there would be the next best thing. Judging from the thinly-veiled look of disgust, Tosh would not hesitate to give that broad a tongue-lashing piece of her mind.

Their computer-genius look at him and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Jack nodded, sending her a grateful look.

"Maybe we should go inside?" Gwen suggested. "Inside, we're still near enough to come to their aid if needed but far enough away for plausible deniability should anything embarrassing happen."  
"Good thinking, Gwen," Jack stated, making a show of offering his companion his arm.

Rolling her eyes at his over-the-top behaviour, she smiled and took him up on that.

 

Inside the cozily lit auditorium, the live band had just returned from their break and re-took their place on the stage. The MC announced that for the next hour, only music for the so-called 'classic' dances would be played and wished everyone a pleasant evening before retreating to parts unknown.

"Well then..." Jack turned to Gwen, bowing a bit. "Would the beautiful lady care for a dance?"

Gwen smiled, nodding. She loved dancing but neither Rhys nor she did have the time to indulge in their hobby all that often.

 

They'd finished a foxtrot and enjoyed a lively quickstep and were just taking a breather when the band started up a slow waltz. Jack turned up the charm, smiled a blinding grin and tugged Gwen back onto the dance-floor.

The pair had just completed their second figure when Jack was tapped onto the shoulder and a gruff voice asked, "Mind if I cut in?"

"Not at all," Jack replied, turning around to hand over Gwen to a new partner–

–only to find himself grabbed and twirled away by the older-looking gentleman.

The last thing Jack saw was Gwen's perplexed face before he lost sight of her in the vastness of the ballroom.

It had been quite a while since Jack had been surprised like that but even though he had been caught somewhat off-guard, he danced like pro, rotating and swaying, changing the lead with that mysterious, grey-haired stranger like it was nothing.

Jack was just about to open his mouth and ask the stranger for his reasons – Or his name. Or his phone number! Or both. – when they pressed together and Jack felt... Was that... _Were those...?_ TWO heartbeats?!

The usually smooth, quick-witted captain gaping, his voice coming out rather small, scratchy yet sounding endearingly hopeful. ". . . Doctor...?"

"Took you long enough," the Doctor grumbled, the left edge of his mouth quirking ever-so-slightly upwards.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted for the Twelfth Doctor to meet Captain Jack Harkness. Didn't happen in the show itself so... I wrote it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for staying with me until the end. ;-)
> 
> Chapter 1: I haven't watched _The X-Files_ in _years_ but was a fan some time ago. The incidents did happen somewhat like that, though.  
>  Chapter 2: I am positive this is just one of the deleted scenes in _The Mentalist_. No, really. (Who can say with certainty that _didn't_ happen?)  
>  Chapter 3: Oh, that one's a 'what if'. What if the meeting at St.Luke's _wasn't_ the first time the Doctor and Bill ever met.  
>  Chapter 4: For some reason I couldn't resist writing something related to _Jurassic Park_. Sorry for...Snarky!Alan, Ian being a shit, the length, etc.!  
>  Chapter 5: I really, _really_ would have liked for the Twelfth Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness to meet.Although that dDidn't happen for 11th either. T_T
> 
> Comments and any _constructive_ criticism will be appreciated. Flames will be...EXTERMINATED!


End file.
